Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-26
RASH STATESMEN.
THE SENATE VOTES DOWN AWOMAN
SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT.

In Spite ofthe Presence ofthe Fair Cham
pions of the Measure in Washington
Synopsis of the Debate-Business Trans
acted in Consress-Postal Finances
Mrs. Cleyeland's Reception-Notes.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 26-After the
morning hour i'll tbs senate had expired
Tuesday, on motion OF Blair the following
proposed woman suffrage amendment TO the
constitution was considered:
The right of citizens of the United States
TO vote shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by a state on account Of
Sex Congress shall have power, by appro-
pirate legislation, TO enforce the provisions
of this article.
Brown said woman now exercised an I'M
peroeptible influence in public affairs much
greater than she could if female suffrage
were enacted. The more ignorant and less
refined portions of the female population, to
say nothing of the laser classes, would flock
TO the polls, while refined, intelligent, and
virtuous women would stay at home. Thus
there would be a vast preponderance OF ig-
norance and vice at the polls. Things were
bad enough now in that connection. He re-
gardei the movement as an attempt to re-
verse the very laws of being
Dolph favored the resolution The stage OF
ridicule of the movement was past This
resolution might not pass; but the time was
not far distant when, in every state and ter
ritory. woman would be admitted to an
equal voice in the government, whether the
federal constitution be amended or not Ne
measure involving such radical changes in
society had made such great progress as tine
woman's suffrage movement
EustiS suggested that suffrage aud service
on jGries were corelative duties, and asked
whether it was a decent spectacle to taxa
away a mother from her nursing infant and
keep her up all night sitting on jury.
Dolph replied that there was nothing ii
that suggestion, because no woman under
such circumstances would be required Il
serve on the jury. In conclusion he said
''Gcl-speed the day when not only in all the
states and territories, but every where, womeI
shall stand before the law freed from tn,
shackles riveted on her by tyranny and K
norance, not only in relation to the right .
suffrage, but in relation to every othe
right"
Vest spoke in opposition to the resolution
II this government, he said-the dream o
philanthropists and patriots-were ever de
stroyed, it would be through injudicious, i'm
mature, or corrupt suffrage 1t was not OF
the sparsely-settled prairieS of the west tina
an ultimate test of the merit Of woman suf
frage could be had Suffrage there remained
pure in the nature of things, when it wa,
corrupted everywhere else. The danger
from suffrage was in the cities. Did the sen
ator from New Hampshire IBlairl who las
session shocked the senate with his Statement
as to illiteracy in the south, propose TO Civ,
suffrage to the colored women of the south
The great danger to-day was in emotiona
suffrage, in excitable suffrage. Women ar
| essentially emotional in their nature H
would not degrade women by giving her tn
right of suffrage-which was not natura
right, but one TO be determined by expedj
ency and policy. ''N oman sulfragists," sal
| Vest, want to be presidents, and senators
AMI members of the house of representatives
| AMI tGoi save tie mark ministerial and ex
| ecutive officers -sherIiis. conStables an
marshals. l would not give one murmur Q
| my grandmother and mother for all the al
| SUments that could be piled 'Pelion upo
| OSsa' IN favor Of this political monstrosjty-
| Blair made an argument in favor of tn
resolution. Thu real question for the senat
was net whether it favored woman suffrage
| but whether 1t would consent to submit tn
| question to the legislatures of the severl
states. He believed that in the agitation o
this question, lay the fate OF rep Ubiicau gov
eminent, and n that Of republican govern
ment lay the fate If mankinl
! Tie National Woman Suffrage a,4oca
ton met here Tues lay for its nineteenth an
nual convention. Among the delegate
present were Miss Susan B. Anthony. M,
| May Wright Sewal. Mrs. Elizabeth Boyr
| ton Harb-rt. Mrs. Isabella Beecht
Hooker, Lillian DeVereux Blake, and man
Tiers. Miss Susan B. Anthony dalyere
the opening address. Several reports WEI
read and accepted, after which Harriet /
Shattuck spoke upon the subject of I'll
| Women Who ASK and the Women Who OI
jet"
At the evening session addresses We,
male 10y Mrs ..Sewall, of Indiana. ca TT
Conditions OF Liberty by Mrs Harbert,
Illinois, on "Our M0therleSs Government
and by Mrs Isabella Beecher Hooker
The Constitutional Right of " oman to Ii
Ballot